ST. LOUIS (AP) - The state says lethal injection executions in Missouri are humane and constitutional and do not require the assistance of a doctor trained in anesthesia. The state made the claim in briefs filed late Tuesday with a federal appeals court in St. Louis. The state is appealing a federal judge's order in the case of condemned murderer Michael Taylor of Kansas City. The judge ordered Missouri to have a doctor trained in anesthetic drugs to oversee and monitor lethal injections in the state. The ruling effectively has halted executions in Missouri. State attorneys for the Missouri Department of Corrections argued that it may be impossible to find a doctor willing to participate in executions. The case is scheduled for oral argument January tenth before the Eighth U-S Circuit Court of Appeals. Taylor's attorneys have until December 26th to file a response.